In a room, a young man sat in the commander's seat, speaking with a firm yet caring tone. "Yui, when you get there, remember to make new friends. And stop that habit of eyeing people suspiciously, okay? On your first day of school, try to be friendly and approachable—don't let people think you're some oddball, got it?..."
"Got it, got it! You still talk too much, Captain," Yui replied, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"Don't call me Captain anymore, Yui. The war is over, so you need to change too," The young man said with a hearty laugh, reaching out to ruffle her hair.
"Don't treat me like a kid. I'm 19 already!" Yui protested, her face expressionless, though she didn't pull away as he continued to pat her head.
"True, you've grown up, but in a normal life, you're still like a child. Besides, you're 17 now—keep that in mind!"
"Are you sure it's okay to fake my age like this?" Yui asked, a flicker of concern crossing her mind.
"No worries. Do you think anything in your file is real anyway? I've crafted a perfect backstory for you. If anyone asks, just stick to that," The Captain said with a confident smile, though Yui couldn't shake a nagging sense of unease.
"Fine, thanks, Captain," She said reluctantly.
"Yui, it's time to head out," A man entered the room, informing her that her transport was ready.
"Well, I'll go now. Goodbye, Captain," Yui waved, turning to leave.
"Yeah, live well, Yui," The young man called after her, then turned back to his work.
"Hello, I'm Katsuya Yui. I'm on my way to Tokyo to start school. The Captain told me I need to embrace a new life. When I asked why, he just said, 'Life is something you have to experience yourself'—what kind of answer is that!"
"To be honest, continuing as an agent might have been easier, but the Captain wouldn't let me stay. Before I knew it, he'd arranged everything, and I had no choice but to go along with it."
"A new life? Why does he think I need that?" Yui glanced at her hands, scarred from past battles, and a wave of exhaustion washed over her. "I should cover these scars." She pulled out a pair of gloves and slipped them on.
Three hours later, Yui arrived at the subway station in Tokyo.
"This place is busier than I expected. The people here are so different from what I'm used to—completely carefree, not even paying attention to their surroundings on the street. If they live like this, they could easily fall victim to an ambush," She thought to herself.
She stood still, scanning the area.
"I didn't realize technology had advanced this much. I've never used these gadgets before, so it's no surprise I'm clueless. The Captain gave me a phone—it looks expensive, but I only know how to make calls."
After a while of observing, Yui noticed a woman approaching her.
"Hello, are you Katsuya Yui?"
The woman was strikingly beautiful, with a balanced figure and an air of maturity. Her attire and the expensive jewelry on her hands exuded elegance.
Yui studied her carefully from head to toe, assessing every detail.
"Don't just stare at me like that," the woman said, breaking the silence as she felt Yui's intense gaze.
"Oh, sorry. Yes, I'm Katsuya Yui. And you are…?"
"Oh, it really is you! I'm relieved. I thought it'd take longer to find you— you don't quite match the description I was given… Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm Mayoru Kotsuki. I was asked to look after you when you arrived," The woman explained with a warm smile.
"A… don't tell me this was arranged by the Captain too?" Yui wondered silently. She hadn't expected him to be so thorough as to arrange someone to welcome her.
"Sorry for troubling you," Yui bowed slightly, showing her gratitude.
"No, it's fine. That person has helped me a lot too. Come on, let's head back—my car's outside," Kotsuki said, gesturing toward the exit.
"Alright."
As they walked to the car, the two chatted a little along the way.
"By the way, Kotsuki-san, can I ask something? How did you recognize me?"
"Just call me Kotsuki, and I'll call you Yui, okay?" Kotsuki replied before answering. "Well, at first, I didn't recognize you right away. But when I contacted him, he told me to look into your eyes—I'd know it was you. I didn't understand at first, but when I saw your eyes, something clicked, so I decided to ask."
"My eyes… are they that distinctive?" Yui asked, her face showing a mix of confusion.
"Yes, they are. They look like the eyes of someone who's died, which doesn't suit a young girl like you at all!" Kotsuki said casually, unaware of the shock it caused Yui.
"Eyes like… the dead? Did he really describe me like that? Sure, I don't show much emotion, but it's not that bad, is it?" Yui's mind raced with confusion.
She knew her reserved nature stemmed not from indifference but from the harsh environment she'd grown up in. In her free time, she enjoyed quiet hobbies like reading, cooking, and taking walks…
"Yui, your face tends to go blank mid-conversation," Kotsuki pointed out, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Is that… a problem?" Yui asked, tilting her head.
"It can be. You need to smile more and express yourself better, or it'll be hard to fit in with others," Kotsuki advised gently.
Yui recalled the Captain's words when he first suggested she move to Tokyo: "Yui, no matter what you've been through, there's still a future ahead. That future isn't here, so go out and live like a normal girl."
"You're right… I'll try," Yui said, offering a small smile.
"That's an improvement," Kotsuki smiled back, then noticed Yui's gloved hands with curiosity. "By the way, Yui, why are you wearing gloves?"
"…It's just a personal preference," Yui hesitated before answering.
"Oh… I see," Kotsuki nodded, sensing Yui didn't want to elaborate, and dropped the subject.
As they talked, Kotsuki drove them to their destination. "We're here. This is my shop. You'll stay here for now, Yui—don't worry, everything inside is well-equipped."
"This is a bakery?"
"Yes, but it's just a little hobby project of mine, so you don't need to worry about it affecting you. It's not very active, and I don't spend much time here anyway," Kotsuki said nonchalantly.
"Opening a place this big on a whim? Captain, how did you even meet a wealthy woman like this?" Yui thought to herself.
"Stop staring, Yui. Come help move your stuff inside—I still need to take you shopping!"
"Yes… wait, shopping?"
Before Yui could process it, she found herself at a shopping mall with Kotsuki.
"Why do we need to shop? I thought the house already had everything."
"But you need personal items, Yui. He mentioned you're terrible at picking things out, so I'm here to help," Kotsuki explained.
"I'm not great at it, but I don't need that much…"
"You'll see once we start," Kotsuki said, pulling Yui into various stores. She bought everything in sight without checking prices—clothes, shoes, even makeup and jewelry.
"This is way too much. I don't need makeup or jewelry…"
"What do you mean, no? We can't let a beauty like yours go to waste!" Kotsuki insisted, undeterred by Yui's protests.
"Kotsuki-san is kind, but she's a bit too enthusiastic. Accepting all this feels wrong. And the way she spends money—buying both options without a second thought when she can't decide—is incredible."
"I guess I'll accept it for now to avoid upsetting her," Yui decided silently.
After hours of shopping, they returned with bags full of items and stopped at a nearby restaurant on the way home.
"Kotsuki-san, I'm really grateful for everything you've done. I'd like to do something to repay you," Yui said sincerely.
"It's nothing much. But if you want to repay me, tell me more about him," Kotsuki said suddenly, catching Yui off guard.
"Him…" Yui paused. "He's irresponsible, always dumping work on me, but… he's kind-hearted, the only family I have… I suppose." Yui's voice softened with the last words, a rare hint of shyness.
"You can get shy too, huh?" Kotsuki teased. "So, you've known each other for a long time?"
"Yes… almost 15 years," Yui calculated before replying.
"That's amazing. I wish I had a bond like that," Kotsuki said with admiration.
"How did you meet him, then?" Yui asked in return.
"Well, it's not much, but when I was at my lowest, he gave me a reason to keep living, to not give up… and I'll never forget that day," Kotsuki's voice trembled, her eyes glistening with emotion, making Yui feel uneasy.
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay," Yui quickly interjected.
"I'm fine, it's all in the past. Besides, even though we just met, I don't feel distant from you. I think I can share this with you if it's not a bother," Kotsuki said warmly.
"I… of course, I'm happy to listen," Yui replied, nodding.